


Fathers and Sons

by glymr



Series: Sawdust and Spangles [9]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Collaboration, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-25
Updated: 2010-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-08 21:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3224219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glymr/pseuds/glymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kid glared at the floor. "You must teach me to fly," he said</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fathers and Sons

"*Train* you?" Dick stared down at the kid, who looked up at him defiantly. "Why *us*?"

"You're the best," said the boy flatly. He folded his arms in front of him. "You'll be well-paid for your trouble."

Dick and Tom exchanged looks. "I don't think we need the money *that* much," said Tom dryly.

"I could buy all of this," said the boy, waving his arm to encompass the circus and everything in it.

"Only if the owner were willing to sell it to you," said Tom, lips twitching into a small smile. Dick wanted to punch the kid, but Tom just seemed amused.

"Who owns this place, anyway?"

"Bruce Wayne," said Dick. Of course, it was really one of Wayne's charities that owned them, but he just wanted to see the kid's reaction. It wasn't quite what he expected.

The boy went perfectly still, like someone had called his name. He was silent for a moment, then he said, "Bruce Wayne?" There was a strange note in his voice, something raw and hungry. "Have you...met him?" and he didn't sound at all imperious, anymore.

Tom stared at the boy, eyes going wide, then narrowing, but he didn't answer. "We've met him," said Dick finally.

"What's...what's he like?" asked the kid, sounding like any other kid.

Dick thought about it for a moment. "He's...he's a good man," he said quietly. "He helped us." He frowned a little, thinking of all the ways Bruce had helped them. "He...he helped us," he said again.

The kid glared at the floor. "You must teach me to fly," he said.

Dick opened his mouth to tell the kid that they didn't have to do anything of the sort, but Tom spoke first. "We will train you," he said.

"We _will_?" Dick blinked at him.

"On two conditions."

The boy met his eyes, his chin in the air. "Name them," he said.

"First, you will make a very large donation to a certain charity in Gotham," said Tom.

The boy nodded. "Done," he said.

"Second, you will treat us at all times with respect. We are not your hirelings. We are your _teachers_. Do you understand?"

The boy inclined his head. "Yes," he said. "I understand."

* * *

"What the hell are you thinking?" said Dick after the boy had left with his mother.

"The boy," Tom said, and paused, looking up at the wires and ropes strung across the big top, his eyes far away.

"The boy _what_?" said Dick impatiently. "He's a brat? A royal pain in the ass? An entitled little *bitch*?"

"He's Bruce's son," said Tom.

Dick opened his mouth, then closed it again. "*What*?" he said when he found his voice.

"He's Bruce's son. Did you see the line of the jaw, the shape of his face?"

"We look alike, but we're not related by blood," countered Dick.

Tom shrugged. "We have similar coloration, but our bone-structures are completely different. But he...the shape of his ears, his jaw, everything..." he shook his head. "Besides, you saw the way he reacted when you mentioned Bruce's name."

Dick put a hand on Tom's shoulder. "But you said that Bruce was-"

"He is," said Tom. "I'm as sure of *that* as I can be of anything." He slid a hand to cover Dick's. "I don't know if Bruce even knows about this kid, but it seems like his mother is grooming him to follow Bruce's path. And..." he smiled up at his brother, "we owe Bruce."

Dick nodded slowly. "We do."

"This is our chance...not just to give the charity a return on its investment, but to do something for Bruce _personally_. We will train his son. We will teach him to fly."  
  
~~~


End file.
